The Chicago Bears have several options to solidify their defensive front, though one stands above the rest.
Unless Chicago trades back again in the first round, the Bears will select their first player of the 2023 NFL draft with the 9th overall selection on Thursday night, April 27. Speculation on which position Chicago will target has ranged from left tackle to edge rusher to wide receiver to even a running back. However, Matt Miller of ESPN recently noted that a survey of personnel graders and decision-makers across the league identified the Bears as the franchise most likely to draft elite defensive tackle prospect Jalen Carter out of Georgia.
“[Carter] has been among the most discussed players in this class, and his landing spot remains a hot topic among NFL sources,” Miller wrote on Wednesday. “In a poll of a half-dozen scouts and general managers, the prediction was that Carter would be drafted at No. 9 overall by the Chicago Bears. It’s widely expected Carter will be drafted in the top 10 after meeting with every team holding picks 5 through 10 in pre-draft visits.”
Bears May Need to Trade up in NFL Draft for Jalen Carter
GettyGeorgia defensive tackle Jalen Carter had his top-30 visit with the Chicago Bears on Monday, April 3, 2023.
The news is excellent for Bears fans on two fronts. First, Carter is arguably the most talented prospect in the entire 2023 draft class — a belief that ESPN’s Mel Kiper Jr. has been touting for months and one he reiterated on Tuesday.
“Carter’s stock hasn’t dropped in the eyes of NFL teams, and so I’m not dropping him in my rankings,” Kiper wrote. “On the field, he is a fantastic prospect. I moved him to No. 1 in my December Big Board update, and he finished the season playing the best ball of his career. He had 12 quarterback pressures in his final three games for the back-to-back national champs. He was fantastic after he returned in late October from missing two games due to a knee issue.”
The second reason for excitement is that Chicago may not have to sacrifice any draft capital to move up and grab Carter. The Seattle Seahawks at No. 5 and Detroit Lions at No. 6 are both contenders to select Carter, though Miller’s survey of NFL staffers suggests both teams will pass on the imposing defensive tackle.
Bill Barnwell of ESPN on April 19 predicted a draft-day trade between the Bears and Seahawks that would move Chicago from No. 9 to No. 5. The Bears would also send Seattle the No. 53 overall pick this year and receive the No. 83 pick from the Seahawks in return, as well as a third-rounder in 2023. While that swap wouldn’t be the worst outcome for the Bears, the opportunity to draft Carter without it is the superior result.
Bears Have Option to Trade Down in NFL Draft, Select Left Tackle
GettyTennessee offensive tackle Darnell Wright took a top-30 visit with the Chicago Bears ahead of the 2023 NFL Draft.
Just as likely as Chicago drafting Carter, either at No. 9 or with a higher pick via a trade, is the Bears deciding to trade down a second time in the first round.
General manager Ryan Poles said after trading the No. 1 overall selection to the Carolina Panthers that he thought about working out a deal at the time that would have moved the Bears down twice. Poles ultimately chose to make the best deal on the table with the Panthers, in which Chicago acquired a draft haul over multiple years and top-shelf wide receiver D.J. Moore. But that doesn’t mean another trade isn’t in the works.
The Bears have a need at left tackle almost as desperate as their need on the defensive front, and a handful of prospects are expected to be there for the taking come the 9th pick. Chicago could partner with several teams looking to trade up for a variety of positions, move down a handful of spots and still potentially draft their offensive tackle of choice in the middle of the first round.
Among the offensive linemen thought to be of interest to the Bears are Peter Skoronski of Northwestern, Darnell Wright of Tennessee and Paris Johnson Jr. of Ohio State.
Bears Predicted as Landing Spot for Elite Defensive Tackle